Perpignan

Perpignan (Perpinyà in catalan) is the capital of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, the Northern Catalonia part of France and is situated about 15km from the sea. Perpignan is home to about 100 000 people, and has two rivers flowing through it; with the Têt to the north, and the Basse through the centre.

Attractions

Palace Of The Kings Of Mallorca

Former residence of the Kings of Majorca (13th-14th centuries) and located at the heart of the citadel, this palace is one of the testimonies of mediaeval, civilian and military architecture of the South of France. www.perpignantourisme.com

A brief bit of history...

Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union, it was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is the south of the country. Rugby league is most popular in the south of France and France has one Super League team, Catalans Dragons.

National Rugby

The French national rugby league team are often nicknamed les Chanteclairs, after the cockerel which is the emblem of the team, or as les Tricolores. They have competed in every World Cup and European Nations Cup, as well as playing in other tournaments such the Victory Cup.

Did you know: France was the driving force behind the establishment of the Rugby League World Cup following the war. The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the Final at Parc des Princes was narrowly lost by France 12-16 to a young, underdog Great Britain. France played major international series against Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The 1951 and 1955 French tours of Australia, in which the French won both Test series 2-1, are still regarded as two of the strongest sides ever to tour Australia.